Action 9 investigates cable company offers

MT. DORA, Fla. - A Lake County woman claims the state's biggest cable company offered a big cash promotion then failed to deliver the money, but she's not the only one claiming she was scammed.

Cynthia Devos thought the promotion was too good to ignore. She could add phone service to a three-year cable contract for a small increase, plus Comcast would send her a $100 Visa card.

But nearly a year later, Devos said she's still waiting.

"It's like, come on, you sign up and you don't receive the promotion they offer," she said.

Devos claims she's called once a month and kept hearing the card was in the mail.

"I think they have no intentions of giving out the gift card," said Devos.

It's not just central Florida customers. Action 9 has found consumers in several states making the same claims about missing Visa cards. Online, some families claim they're owed $200 to $300.

"I think they should do the honorable thing and make sure everyone receives it," said Devos.

Action 9 reviewed Comcast complaints filed with the state. There are more than 700 in Florida since January, many involving customer service issues.

According to consumer experts, these kinds of promotions can lead to big problems because of the fine print and misunderstandings.

"Consumers need to look closely at the disclosures. There's no free lunch. And in this case, the consumer is paying for it by not receiving the teaser that was promised," said Better Business Bureau President Judy Pepper.

A week after Action 9 contacted Comcast, the company promised to send Devos her Visa card within days.

But Devos said she still can't understand why that took months.

"The company needs to step up," said Devos.

Online, some customers were told Comcast blamed problems on a promotions company it hired. Comcast had no comment on that, but said Devos' was an isolated case.